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1 Welcome
Welcome
to the Wine Hiking Trail in Müden on the Mosel
Route length 1.4 km from the weather station to
the nature conservation project “Auf der Krabaun”
With information on the following topics:
grape varieties, seasonal work, terroir, climate, dry stone walls, biodiversity
With detours to the fire salamander theme trail, nature trail, Franconian burial ground memorial and children's activities
2 Vine
Root
Nutrients and water are absorbed into the vine through the roots. A large part of the rootstock is between 20 cm and 50 cm below the ground. However, depending on the age of the vine and the soil conditions, roots can reach up to 15 m - 20 m deep into the ground.
Vine
A grapevine is a climbing plant that is cultivated into a stock shape depending on the type of cultivation. Today's vines in the vineyard are grafted. This means that a shoot (branch) is grafted onto a base stock, the rootstock. For this reason, they are also called grafted vines.
Fruit
The fruits of the vine are berries, which grow on the stem and form a cluster called a grape. The berries of wine grapes always contain seeds, unlike table grapes.
The grapes bloom between the end of May and June, depending on the weather. Depending on the flowering period, the course of the summer and the variety, the harvest can begin at the end of August or as late as mid-October.
3 Climate
Data from the Müden weather station
Wine growing in Müden is favored by a mild climate with high temperatures and low rainfall.
Average temperatures in Müden (2018 to 2023): 11.6 degrees
Average rainfall in Müden (2018 to 2023): 649 mm
The values are on average 1.3 degrees higher and 94 liters per year lower than the six-year annual average in Germany.
Climate change
The consequences of climate change are increasingly being felt in winegrowing on the Moselle. Extreme weather events such as late frosts, droughts and heavy rainfall are becoming more common. Frost damage is occurring over large areas due to early budding. The consequences can range from crop losses to even crop failure. The growing seasons are getting longer. The grape harvest begins much earlier than it did 20 or 50 years ago.
Above all, the regular drought will be a major challenge in the coming years.
4 Winter
Vine/Nature
The grapes have been harvested. The leaves have fallen with the first frost. The vine is going into winter dormancy.
Working in the vineyard
The first work for the new harvest year begins. The vine is cut back. New fruit shoots are selected from the one-year-old wood, and the fruit shoots from the previous autumn are removed. In the new year, the fruit shoots are bent according to the cultivation method. The shoots and later the grapes will sprout from these in the growing year.
Working in the winery
In the winery, the fermenting wines in the cellar are monitored. Fermented wines are separated from the yeast, a process called racking. Young wines are clarified and thus stabilized.
5 Riesling
General systematics and origin
Riesling most likely originates from a cross between a wild Rhenish grape and the Heunisch grape variety . The first documented evidence of planting dates back to 1435. Riesling is the best-known German white wine grape variety. It is particularly important on the Mosel, with 62.5% of the vineyard area in the growing region being planted with Riesling vines.
Characteristics of the grape variety
Grape: small to medium sized
Berry: green, yellow, brown-dotted
Ripening: late, beginning - end of October
Wine: fruity, elegant, with noticeable acidity
Variety of aromas : from apple, citrus to ripe peach, exotic fruits
6 Pinot Noir
General systematics and origin
The Blauer Spätburgunder, also called Pinot Noir, is one of the oldest and most famous cultivated grape varieties in the world, with origins in France. It is considered the forefather of all Burgundy grape varieties (early, white and gris pinot, etc.). Cultivation is recommended in cooler climates. On the Mosel, it is the most common red grape variety and is grown on around 5% of the vineyard area.
Characteristics of the grape variety
Grape: small to medium sized berries
Berry: round to oval and dark blue
Ripening: end of September to mid-October
Wine: brilliant purple color, fine elegant body, full-bodied, fresh acidity
Aroma: cherries, red berries
7 Spring
Vine/Nature
With the first warm rays of sunshine, life awakens in the vine. The water rises through the roots into the one-year-old wood (fruit canes), and the first buds (eyes) open.
Working in the vineyard
The fruiting branches of the vines are tied to the wire frame or to the individual stake. This work should be done before budding to avoid damage. The first soil preparations for ventilation and better irrigation are carried out, and young vines are also planted now.
Working in the winery
The wines from the last harvest have been matured. The young wines are now ready and are being transferred from the barrel to the bottle.
The location Funkenberg (downstream)
The name comes from the stony soil, where sparks sometimes fly when the soil is worked with iron pickaxes. In the Funkenberg you will mainly find sandy loam soils. The parent rock here is greywacke with quartzite deposits , which significantly characterizes the wines here. In contrast to the classic Moselle slate, it is much harder. Saltier and more delicate Riesling wines grow here.
The location of St. Castorhöhle (upstream of the Moselle)
According to tradition, the monk St. Castor, who was sent from Trier to Christianize the area, lived here in a cave on the slope between Müden and Karden around 550 AD. The classic Moselle slate can be found mainly on the old terraces in the St. Castor cave. The lighter, loamy, sandy soils warm up quickly and store the heat late into the night thanks to the dark slate. The Riesling wines here are more opulent and characterized by yellow fruit aromas.
Types of wine
White wine is made from light grapes, rosé and blanc de noir are made from red grapes pressed immediately after harvest.
Red wine requires mash fermentation after harvest, during which the red color from the berries passes into the juice (must).
Flavor information
Dry, semi-dry and sweet are legally defined taste descriptions of the wine based on the existing and tasteable residual sweetness in the wine. The term Feinherb can be used freely and describes any taste between slightly dry and sweet.
Designation of origin
A new German wine law has been in force since 2021, which regulates the quality levels of wine based on current EU law. The quality of German quality and premium wines now depends on where the grapes come from. This is because wine is a taste reflection of its origin, the terroir on which the vines grow. It is divided into 3 quality pyramids with the guiding principle:
"The closer the origin, the greater the quality!"
Vine/Nature
After 13 leaves have formed on the young shoot, the vine begins to bloom at the end of May to mid-June . The flowers are called clusters because they already look like grapes. They spread a pleasant, delicate scent.
Working in the vineyard
The summer is all about leaf work. First and foremost, the increasingly longer shoots have to be inserted into the wire frame and then shortened later. Some quality-enhancing measures, such as removing leaves before the grapes, are also on the agenda now. Last but not least, plant protection is also an important task, because the vine cannot survive without it.
However, thanks to modern technology and the promotion of natural enemies of pests, plant protection can now be reduced.
Working in the winery
In the cellar, the remaining wines are bottled and put on sale. Warm summer evenings invite you to drink wine and enjoy. In late summer, preparations for the upcoming harvest begin.
11 Burgundy
White & Grey Burgundy
General systematics and origin
Burgundy grape varieties are mutations of Pinot Noir. This forms a family together with Pinot Blanc (Pinot Bianco) and Pinot Gris (Pinot Grigio). The species can only be determined when the grapes are ripe by looking at the color of the berries and leaves.
Characteristics of the grape variety
Pinot Gris : Pinot Blanc:
Grape: medium-sized, long, dense and compact
Berry: grey to red green “with caramelized cheeks”
Ripening: mid/late September to early October
Wine: green-yellow with golden reflections green -yellow
spicy, creamy slightly fruity, creamy
strong body fine body
Aroma: apple- citrus , apricot, yellow fruits, apple, citrus,
peach, dried peach
12 Rivaner / Müller Thurgau
General systematics and origin
The grape variety was created in 1882 in the Rheingau at the state teaching and research institute in Geisenheim . It is a cross between Riesling and Madeleine Royal and was named after its breeder Müller from the Swiss canton of Thurgau. The name Rivaner was established later, as it was initially assumed that it was a cross between Riesling and Silvaner. On the Mosel, Rivaner is grown on around 8.5% of the vineyard area.
Characteristics of the grape variety
Grape: medium size
Berry: yellowish green
Ripening: early to mid-September
Wine: less acidity, spicy, light fruit aromas, delicate body, nutmeg note
Aromas: yellow fruits, gooseberry, elderflower
13 Dornfelder
General systematics and origin
The early-ripening red wine grape variety was bred in 1955 in Weinsberg (Württemberg) by August Herold. It is a cross between the Helfensteiner grape variety and the Heroldrebe. The grape variety was named after Immanuel Dornfelder, the founder of the State Teaching and Research Institute in Weinsberg.
Dornfelder is grown on just under 3% of the vineyard area on the Mosel.
Characteristics of the grape variety
Grape: large and compact
Berry: large, blue-black
Ripening: early to mid-September
Wine: blue-violet color with red reflections, subtle acidity
Aroma: blackberry, cassis, strawberry, raspberry
14 Fungus-resistant grape varieties (Piwis)
Term: Fungal resistance of vines
These new grape varieties, which were bred with sustainability in mind, have natural defenses against the most important fungal pathogens in the vineyard and thus require much less plant protection.
Fewer plant protection measures promote beneficial organisms and flora and fauna in the vineyard, while at the same time saving diesel and CO2 and, above all, protecting the soil because the number of journeys with heavy machinery is reduced.
Vital soils produce more aromatic grapes and many more colorful companion plants that promote biodiversity in the vineyard. These make it possible to bind CO2 from the air into the soil - climate change can thus be actively counteracted.
Example of Piwi grape varieties in this vineyard:
Satin Black
Grape: small, loose-berried
Berry: small, thick skin, dark blue
Ripening: end of September
Wine: deep red color, full-bodied
Aroma: black blackberries and currants,
black pepper and dark chocolate
Vine/Nature
There is no more leaf growth. The grapes are formed on the fruit canes and are beginning to ripen. The flesh becomes soft and the seeds turn brown. As long as the leaves are green, photosynthesis transports sugar into the fruit. The nights become cooler and the sun loses its strength. The pigeon skins become thinner.
Working in the vineyard
At the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, the harvest quantity of high-yielding grape varieties is regulated. The grape zone is defoliated for better ventilation. The must weight and ripeness of the grapes are checked to determine the optimal harvest time. The grape harvest begins.
Working in the winery
Before the grape harvest, preparations are made, grape presses are set up, scissors and buckets are brought out, etc. The harvest begins, the grapes are picked during the day and pressed in the late afternoon. This produces must, which is then freed from the turbidity. The fermentation of the new vintage begins.
16 Terroir
"Terroir" describes the influences that affect the grapes or vines and lead to the development of taste characteristics in the finished wine. Factors that influence this include climate, soil composition, landscape, type of cultivation and, crucially, the winemaker's working methods. The weather in particular leads to strong differences between vintages.
Moselle terroir
The Mosel is known for mineral wines that can show many facets. The different subsoils such as slate (blue, red), greywacke, quartzite or clay characterize the wine. Steep, slate-covered mountain slopes are heated by the sun's rays. Forested mountain ridges keep cold winds at bay.
The river reflects the sun's rays onto the steep slopes.
Winemaker’s philosophy
The basis for the wine that will be produced later lies in the vineyard. This is where the winemaker decides which work will be carried out and when. After the harvest, the grapes are turned into wine in the winery, and fermentation also influences the taste. Only then do the final aromas typical of the wine develop.